My mom made a comment to me the other day about how all the pictures I post of my house make it look so clean and beautiful. She was suggesting that maybe they don't quite paint the REAL picture of how she sees my house when she visits. Ha! So, this morning was a normal morning for me: waiting until 7:30 to wake the girls up for school so that I can have just a few more minutes of alone time and then trying to fit in the following before getting them out the door at 7:55: pick out outfits, help girls get dressed, feed them breakfast, make lunches, look up schedules on the computer, help with hair and teeth brushing, write notes, find a joke to send them to school with and still try to help them make a goal or leave with something positive to think about. And this picture above is pretty much how my kitchen looks once I've closed the door after waving goodbye. The REAL DEAL. Here you go mom. This is why I don't cook...I'm just a trail of open cabinets, unsealed containers, lids off whatever I used, random crap all over the counter from all my multitasking..ridiculous! I'm thinking the vaseline, socks, tape, toys, and brush are things that most people might have on a kitchen counter? Hmmm. At least I had the broom out and ready to clean. This image is kind of similar to what it might feel like being inside my head. But I work well with this. And most of the time I'm rather efficient, thank you very much. To think this kitchen was half clean 15 minutes before the picture was taken. But the kids left smiling, with clean teeth, a kid joke to tell at school and feeling loved. Score. Winner. Now comes the aftermath.
And in addition to my kitchen issue, I just might have some shoe issues. If you're a runner, you will agree that my problem isn't in the amount of shoes I go through. After all, each shoe only has so many miles before one should replace them. My problem might just be the fact that I have such attachment issues with my Brooks shoes and can't bring myself to get rid of them right away. The picture only shows half of them. Good grief. When you spend so much time with a shoe doing something you love so much, your shoe kind of tells a story. I can tell you something about each of these shoes...what I was going through in life, who gave them to me, what race I ran in them, what certain marks are from, etc. But alas, I must get rid of things before our big move so time to make decisions here. And I keep thinking I can squeeze out a few more miles in them. Can you tell what my favorite Brooks shoe is?
1. What is your favorite running shoe? Do you have lots of of old shoes around the house or are you good at recycling them when you get new ones?
2. Would love to see some of your real deal house photos that show your real life...the part that nobody else sees. I think we'd all agree that we are not alone...it is nice to see that others don't always have a Martha Stuart looking home. So, if I get enough of you to send me some REAL DEAL HOME photos, I'll post them all together...come on , snap a picture of your bathroom, bedroom, play room, kitchen, etc....just as it is. Make a girl feel better.
Amanda
Bahahahaha! Crap! I just cleaned my kitchen this morning too. And yeah, looked exactly like this when I left to take the boys to school. Sans vaseline though. I'll take a picture later this evening when it goes back to looking like complete SHIT. Again.
ReplyDeleteI just moved my old shoes out into the garage and right now I am currently OBSESSING over the new pink Flow 2s. Seriously. I can't stop thinking about them... I'm not sentimental with my shoes. Always ready for the next pair. Talk about a true shoe whore.
LOVE this! You better believe I will be sending you a picture of REALITY! :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, getting rid of my good friends- I mean running shoes- is very difficult. After all, we've spent countless hours together and they've shared in some of my best times (literally) with me.
My favorite hoes are my Brooks Cadence. I LOVE them! One of my good running buddies just bought some and she was just saying this morning how much she loves the too!
Ok, that says my favorite hoes! Some how the "s" missed it's place. you knew what I meant anyway, right? ;-)
ReplyDeleteUgh what are you doing about the Launch d/c? Are you stock piling or trying to find a replacement? Pure Flow will never be a long run shoe for me - I want to stay loyal to Brooks but there aren't any similar substitutes!
ReplyDeleteAmanda, I use to have a HUGE shoe problem. I had to come to grips with it when I got married and moved into my husband's house about six years ago. I discovered I had at least eight pairs of Saucony Progrid Rides, plus a few pairs of Asics Gel Kayanos. Most I didn’t even run in anymore; however, each had a special memory to me (i.e. first marathon, fifth marathon, PR, etc...) There was no way I could justify keeping all of them, or probably any of them, so I finally let them all go. It was a good excuse to buy new shoes. I now keep about four pairs in a rotation. I donate the rest to Soles4Soles: http://www.soles4souls.org/. I'm guessing there are some donation sites in the Portland area. I feel good about giving my shoes to someone who truly needs them. P.S. I just started running in the Brooks Ghost and I love them!
ReplyDeleteYou would post this query while my house is clean. The ONCE a year, my house is clean and my laundry is done.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry - in another five minutes I'm sure that will change.
I did however, post this a couple of years ago.
http://mcdanielfamilycircus.blogspot.com/2011/03/babies-dont-keep.html
So, that's pretty much what goes on in my house.
I'm loving the Brook Pureflow right now. I was a Saucony love but I kept loosing toenails not just one but 3 on one foot. Decide to give Brook a try. I think they have a wider toe box which is what I need. Loving the Pureflow. My house looks like that to when life gets so busy.
ReplyDeleteSeeing your kitchen like that makes me feel so much better! Mine looks like that pretty often, but I don't have kids, so what the heck is my excuse?
ReplyDeleteRight now, I am loving my Pure Cadence. At first, I only wore them to walk around or to use the elliptical. But since I started running in them, I've fallen in love! Do you still run in yours? I was nervous to start running in the Pure Project line but now I'm hooked!!
I have a lot of running shoes in various locations around the house BUT they're there for a good reason. The three in my bedroom are the ones I rotate through at the moment. Often one of them can be found on the front step if it's been a bit wet and I don't want grass and leaf litter through the house. Then there's the pair that lives on the front step to be used if I use my exercise bike or do some mowing. And then there's the pair in my workroom. Not at all excessive. Is it?
ReplyDeleteI just cleaned my kitchen, too, otherwise I would take a pic right now. Just give me a few hours, though, and it will be a disaster again. My house always becomes such a mess in the morning in the rush to get everyone out the door, too. Discarded footed pajamas, hair brushes and tooth brushes, dirty dishes, cereal boxes and sometimes (literally) spilled milk on the floor. Thankfully, the dog takes care of any and all crumbs so at least there is never food on the floor. Ha!
ReplyDeleteI used to keep shoes forever but finally started donating them after a period of time. They have a life where they go from running shoe to wearing-around-town shoe to cutting-down-the-Christmas-tree-muddy shoe. And then there are always 3 in the "running shoe" rotation at one time so it still adds up! I partly started donating them so my husband wouldn't notice how many I was always buying!
I'd love some Brooks advice. I love my Pure Flows but would like a pair of more cushioned ones for longer runs or just to alternate with the Pure Flows. I don't know the difference between the Adrenalines, Ghosts, etc.??
love the "real" morning pic. I think most houses have those moments. An idea with the shoes…we give ours to our emergency department at the hospital and they give them to patients that come in off the street with nothing on their feet. They take them no matter how worn out they are. You know they will be put to good use!
ReplyDeleteI'm not home enough to make a mess... also no kids ;)
ReplyDeleteThe biggest mess in my house is when I lay my clothes out the night before instead of leaving them neatly on their hangers!
@Allison, you crack me up! Gosh, I love your comment here.
ReplyDelete@Tia, can't wait to see your pictures!! And so funny...your favorite hoes! ha!
@ Sarah OUaL...gosh, I'm not sure. I think I'll try the Cadence. Or keep on with the flows. So bummed about the Launches. Ghosts are good too.
@christie, thanks for the info! Love your comment here..yes! Shoes have a story. I like the Ghosts too.
@ Kristen...Hmm, what about the Pure Cadence? The Ghosts are nice too. Not sure about the Adrenalines. Brooks really does seem to have a shoe for everyone though.
ReplyDelete@ Mommy McD...ha love that post! Makes me feel so much better.
@Kate, I only had a pair of Cadence for a few weeks and they hurt my feet but I think it was the shoe...I will try again.
With a 3 year-old and a baby my house looks like a tornado passed through every. single. day! I spend time every day picking it all up and then Em comes home and it's back to the way it was!! One day I'll have a clean house...but then again that'll mean they're grown and I don't want that to happen!! My favorite shoes are Saucony....and yes I have emotional attachments to them all!!!
ReplyDeleteYou should see my house AND I don't have kids! Well I do, but he is 29. 29 on going on 3. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite shoes are Brooks too. I have a huge collection of them and can't seem to part with any of them. Drives my husband crazy, but some of them have a lot of memories! Like I could never get rid of the shoes I ran Boston in or my marathon PR shoes....right?
Hahaha. You are not alone with a crazed kitchen. I have so much trouble parting with sneaks. I see the recycling buckets everywhere now [running stores, Nike, gyms] and I still have a special bucket for all of my sneakers.
ReplyDeleteHAhAHA :-) Love it! I need to send you a picture of my counter in the AM too!! Loved the brush right there and it seems like this always a brush on my counter :-) And show pile thing too is so me :-) Hope you are having a blessed day!
ReplyDeleteLOL I'll also send you a pic of a real lived in area of my house! My favorite running shoes that I just can't part from are Saucony Triumphs. They were my first pair of real running shoes and even though I've tried to deviate with other brands I just keep coming back to them. And it doesn't help that I love their past two redesigns A LOT! I also can't throw my old ones out. I use them for regular wear around town now. Although my collection is probably getting a little too big and I should toss/donate at least one pair.
ReplyDeleteYour real deal house pictures, eh? :) It's not the cleanliness of the house, but the love inside that counts!! And there's a lot of love there..
ReplyDeleteShoes...my gosh that is a good collection!! I have a nice stack too. I am going to build some sort of monument with mine. haha.
Loved your last post too, But haven't left a comment there yet. Such beautiful photos of a beautiful time spent together. So happy you both could do it. XO
hey sweet girl - I distrust anyone whose kitchen doesn't look like that when they're taking their kids to school. And then when I'm tidying it up eventually I'm always thinking "vaseline? WTF?"- I mean seriously how does all that STUFF end up there? And wait till Samuel is old enough for little Lego - there are stormtroopers in every cubby.
ReplyDeleteAs for your shoes - girl! That is a LOT Of shoes! I now give mine to a teenager who has the same size but can't afford new running shoes - she seems to get a lot of uninjured wear out of shoes that I no longer can wear.
Thanks for your SWEET comment!
You can always count on mothers to keep it real. Ha!
ReplyDeleteYou have a lot of shoes. I understand though. The shoes I ran my first marathon in are still sitting in the garage. Maybe I should take a piece of fabric from them and put it in a shadow box with some other race things.
No old shoes - I help my daughter run a Souls4Soles collection each year. We usually collect over 1,000 pairs at the local Thanksgiving race.
ReplyDeleteOh wow!!! We should have a Brooks Shoe Off!!! I think I may be able to give you a run for your money. My current favorites is the Pure Cadence 2, but like to race in the Adrenlines ASR, love red shoes.
ReplyDeleteMy gut feeling is I wont be asked back next year, no reason particularly why, just a gut feeling